According to NBC, the Flyers-Penguins game on Feb. 20 was the second-most watched game in NBC Sports Network history. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

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From its office in New York, NBC was delighted to send out a press release touting growth in television viewership despite a shortened 48-game season.

According to its numbers, NBC Sports Network says the 2013 regular season was the most-watched season on cable in 19 years, or since ESPN carried hockey, and numbers are up 18 percent from last season's full 82-game schedule.

It also claimed an average of 392,000 people were tuning in to watch their coverage and "Wednesday Rivalry Night" was a resounding success with 646,000 tuning in on average. ...